This Master’s Thesis analyses dominant cultures of taste in the reviews of literature and video games by identifying prevalent distinctions of critique within these artistic fields. It also provides a perspective to the work of managing a collection in public libraries. In Chapter 1, fundamental principles of a cultural critique – the concepts of aesthetics, quality and taste – are defined and discussed, along with a conceptual and historical definition of the review as a journalistic genre. Chapter 2 examines in greater detail the fields of literature and video games, their artistic characteristics and the traits and dissemination of reviews within the fields. Dominant cultures of taste within literature-reviews are identified as 1) accepting/open-minded (emphasizing the book’s value as entertainment), and 2) elitist (emphasizing stylistic and aesthetic attributes of writing). Chapter 3 presents an analysis of selected games (Bioshock, ICO, Shadow of the Colossus, and Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare) and their reviews. The games are analysed aesthetically before proceeding to a determination of the cultures of taste and distinctions of critique found in reviews of the titles. The analysis identifies two prevalent cultures of taste in video game-reviews: 1) A ludological-normative culture, which emphasizes quality in the game being technically excellent and entertaining to play. 2) An artistic-aesthetic culture, which values games that are not only fun to play, but which also integrate modes of stimulation and aesthetics from other contemporary art forms such as books and movies. In Chapter 4, the use of the insight in cultures of taste in reviews of literature and video games is briefly discussed in relation to the choice of materials and media in public libraries.The thesis concludes by extrapolating parallels between the critical distinctions. Cultures of taste in reviews of both literature and video games are surprisingly similar, in spite of the large difference in time between the establishments of these media. Within both fields, one culture of taste values the medium as pure entertainment, while another culture emphasizes specific aesthetic qualities and stylistic features as valid criteria for a good book/game. Insight into these features in reviews may aid public libraries in establishing diverse collections.